Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tioga condition

9AM - MsTioga's condition
Since MsTioga and I met in 2003, she has never been in such excellent condition as she is in right now. For me, Tioga is a complicated challenge. It has taken all of this time (nine years!), for me to accumulate the knowledge to properly care for Tioga.

Staying in one place here at Home Camp, has given me time to consider things that may improve the quality of life of the TiogaRV Team. For example, the air-conditioner which now is on its way to us. As you may know, in prior years we discounted the value of air-conditioning. Back in those years, we did not stay in RV campgrounds. So, we did not have electric power available to run an air-conditioner.

In those past years, we traveled in order to remain in "T-shirt and short pants" weather. Sometimes we traveled very long distances to find that weather! Now-a-days, with gasoline prices what they are, traveling long distances like we used to do is not feasible.

We have a list of "to-do" things that will keep Tioga in this wonderful condition. In coming days and weeks, we will be doing these things and sharing with you all that is going on!

Move solar panels in order to make room for air-conditioner installation

Provide a new air-conditioner roof installation opening

Install (2) new roof vents

Repaint Tioga's fiberglass roof according to the specs received from Jose the Fiberglass Guy

Replace Tioga's tail light assemblies with new LED units

Replace the cabover and rear clearance lights with LED units. Provide new mounting for these new LED assemblies

10AM - Buying stuff in the USA
It may very well be that I have understated the importance of being able to buy stuff in the USA and have it shipped to us here in Mexico. There are some things that simply cannot be bought here in Mexico, because they are not available. Take Bilstein shock absorbers, for example.

Yes! You may find resources here in Mexico that may be able to provide some Bilstein products. However, these resources do not have the knowledge necessary to know "which" Bilstein would be good for MsTioga. In the USA, with a minimal online Google search, I located "Don's Sport Vehicle Sales". Not only did Don's stock the exact Bilstein that MsTioga needed, but their customer service people had the training and literature to give me the specs for those Bilsteins.

Now multiply this Bilstein experience by hundreds of times, and you may get an idea of how important it is to be able to shop in the USA, while living here in Mexico.

I am pretty sure that USA residents simply take-for-granted going to the nearby Safeway Store to shop for their groceries. USA residents would be blown away if suddenly their local Safeway only offered what the largest grocery markets here in Mexico offer.

The product and the brand selection found in United States stores is absolutely phenomenal!

And..... I have not even gotten into the low cost of USA purchased products compared to the same product in Mexico!

11AM - Life in MexicoA reader may ask: "If shopping in the United States is soooooo wonderful, why are you living in Mexico, Jorge?"

Jorge replies: "I must get into that with you someday!"

4PM - Profesora Gina
It's Thursday again. Which means another Spanish lesson with Profesora Gina! In the past, we have simply chatted together in Spanish, and when I needed help with some words, Gina would jot that word down. Conjugate the word. Write the word in past, present, future [if a verb].

Today I am changing the mode from chatting to reading a magazine named "Hola!" [that I bought in the grocery today]. This change should bring into the lesson words that I do not know.

I'll let you know how this lesson change works for me!

8PM - View from the camping chair
When we returned from our Spanish lesson [BTW-the new lesson change worked great!], the camping chair was setup in front of MsTioga. We watered our grass, plants and flowers. Then, New Mavicita captured a pano pic of our "View from the camping chair!"

If you look carefully at this pic, you may see a bit of the farm fields below us. This same view from inside MsTioga, shows the farm fields much better. Because Tioga is much higher than the camping chair.